


Playing Dress-Up

by gray_autumn_sky



Series: Second Chances [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-16
Updated: 2016-07-16
Packaged: 2018-07-24 10:48:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7505308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gray_autumn_sky/pseuds/gray_autumn_sky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While Robin and the boys are away, Regina and Hope clean out her vault--and Hope finds some of her mother's old dresses from her days as the Evil Queen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Playing Dress-Up

It’s been pointed out to her on several occasions that she needs to clean out her vault—by Henry a few times, by Robin, even Emma and the list goes on; and though there’s merit in the idea, she’s never been one to do something simply because someone told her to do it—she’s much too stubborn for that.

For the first time in a very long time, things are normal in Storybrooke and they have been for awhile now. No dark, evil villains loom in the shadows, threatening those she loves most and there is no crisis to consume her time and energy. Storybrooke has suddenly turned into what she’d long ago hoped it would be—a peaceful town where she feels at home. And now, she’s out of excuses and she knows it’s time—especially with Robin and the boys gone for the weekend on an impromptu camping and fishing trip that’s left her alone with Hope for the weekend, and free to clean out of the vault without ‘I told you so’ smirks from the men in her life. So, she waits until Robin and the boys have left, and waits for Hope to take her nap before finally deciding—today’s the day.

She scoops up the sleeping toddler and puffs them into her vault in a spiral of purple smoke that would surely make her daughter’s eyes grow wide with wonder. She settles Hope on a makeshift bed and hopes the girl will sleep long enough both for her to get something done and so that she doesn’t wake up frightened by the in the eerie setting of her mother’s vault. Dropping a quick kiss on her cheek she smooths the girl’s hair, then rises to her feet and takes a deep breath, not really knowing where to begin. For so long, this was a place only visited by her, a tucked away secret filled with magical relics, spell books and potions, and other items from a distant, past life that she’d much rather forget. Some of the trunks are covered by years and years of dust, things she once thought she might need or want in this new world, that she quickly deemed unnecessary after her arrival and never thought of again.

She opens one of the trunks and scoffs as she lifts a hat from it, remembering the extravagant outfit it belonged to, that had once been a favorite of hers in the Enchanted Forest—one she’d felt particularly powerful in, one others might have said she looked particularly evil in. Rolling her eyes, she tosses the hat aside, “How did anyone ever take me seriously dressed like this?” she asks, thinking aloud, glad to have traded these costumes for her pencil skirts and smart pantsuits when she transitioned from Queen to Mayor.

She moves her attention to a box of potions, condensing duplicates and arranging them on the shelf where they’re supposed to be, wondering what she’s supposed to do with the empty bottles, along with the other contents of her vault that she deems unnecessary—after all, it’s not like she can just flush a bottle of toad’s blood to be recycled into the town’s water supply. Lost in her thoughts, she continues, working through a box of leather bound spell books that have seen better days, again wondering what she’s supposed to do with them.

Her thoughts are interrupted by the sharp giggle of her three year old and she turns, unable to stop her own laughter. Hope is at the trunk, sitting in the center of a skirt, surrounded by a cloud of black and silver tulle, giggling as she twists the fabric between her fingers and pulls it up around herself.

“Well, look who’s up,” Regina says gently, as she moves to crouch in front of her daughter. Kissing her cheek, she reaches behind her and pulls out the hat, holding it out in front of Hope. “What do you think?”

“That’s a funny hat,” Hope replies with a giggle, reaching out and rubbing her fingers against the fabric. “Was this yours, Mommy?”

Regina wrinkles her nose, nodding her head, as she plops the hat atop her three year old’s head. She can’t help but laugh as she looks at the little girl, her innocent blue eyes looking up at her mother, her dimples accentuated by her smile—the Evil Queen’s costume never looked so unintimidating and adorable.

Reaching out, she pulls Hope into her lap and together, they go through the contents of the trunk, finding a perfect array of dress-up clothes for the daughter of the not-so-evil queen—she may not know what to do with potions and spell books, but at least she’s found a purpose for the Evil Queen’s regalia.


End file.
